Vacuum breaker



Feb. 27,i 1945.

E. J. KENNEY VACUUM BREAKER Filed July 25, 1942 INVENTOR. 'oMa/vo J/ff/wvfy Patented Feb. 27, 1945 UNITED STATES l PATENT vOFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in vacuum breakers for use inconnection with ush valve operated water closetA bowls to preventsyphcnage of contaminated water from the water closet bowl back into thefresh water supply system.

One of the features of the invention residesl in a vacuum breaker whichis embodied in the vertical tail-piece which connects the ush valve withthe inlet to a water closet bowl and which effects a saving of time andlabor during the plumbing installation.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a vacuum breaker in whichthe outer cylindrical casing is constructed by casting the same in onepiece as distinguished from other conventional breakers in which thecasing is composed of two or more separate pieces, By this improvementy`it is 4possible to effect a saving of time and labor during assemblingof the various parts of the breaker.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a vacuum breakerin which the breaker valve is positively opened after a ushing operationby spring means to admit atmospheric air into the tail-piece and therebybreak any vacuuml present therein between the valve and the water closetbowl inlet.

Further features of the invention reside in a vacuum breaker which issimple and inexpensive of construction and manufacture; which is notlikely to become out of working order; which may be readily removed andreplaced from its installed position in a plumbing system; and whichmeets the rigid speclcations required by the plumbing ordinances ofvarious communities.

Other features of the invention will become apparent as the followingspecication is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a ush valve operated water closetinstallation equipped with the improved vacuum breaker, a wall structurebeing shown in vertical section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the vacuumbreaker illustrating the valve member in closing engagement with theair' inlet chamber in full lines and in closing engagement with thewater chamber in dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3--3 of Figure 2,locking in the direction of the indicating arrows.

Figure 4 is a detail vertical sectional view of a modified form ofspring actuating means -for the ap valve, the ap valve being shown in 55full lines in closing engagement with the water outlet, and in dottedposition in closing engage# ment with the air outlet.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the numeral I0designates my improved vacuum breaker in its entirety, and which isshown in Figure 1 of the drawing as being interposed in the water supplyline of a plumbing installation between a water closet bowl Il and itsoperating flush valve I2. The inlet to the `ush valve I2 connects with avertical water supply pipe I3 disposed behind a wall structure I4. It iswell known that after operation cf a flush valve, a vacuum is createdbetween the valve and the water closet bowl which produces a Siphoningaction and causescontaminated water from the bowl to enter the freshwater' supply system. This is a serious condition, and has been thecause of many diseases such as typhoid fever. The vacuum breaker deviceIl) acts to break any vacuum which might occur between the flush valveand the water closet bowl, thus preventing the danger of the syphoningof contaminated water from the bowl to the water supply system.

The vacuum breaker device l0 includes a length of tube or what is knownas a tail-piece I5, the same being made of tubing. Mounted within thetail-piece l5 is a substantially conical shaped member I6, constructedof cast metal. The inember I6 is tubular and has an annular flange II atits upper end, the said flange being in snug 'engagement with lthe innerwalls of the tail-piece and xedly secured thereto by any conventionalmeans such as brazing or the like. The lower end of the member I6 isprovided with a water outlet I8 which is disposed at an angle less thana right angle, with respect to the axis of the tailpiece I5. Formedabout the water outlet I8 and coaxial therewith is a valve seat I9. Theinterior of the hollow conical member i6 constitutes a water chamber Athrough which flushed water from the flush valve I3 passes in its flowto the water closet bowl ll.

The portion of the side wall of the tail-piece I5 which is disposed inconfronting relation to the water outlet I8, is provided with an airinlet 20 and surrounding the inlet 20 and being coaxial therewith is anannular collar 2I,` one end of which is iixedlysecured to the inner sideof the tail-piece l'by brazing or soldering. The collar 2| denes an airinlet chamber B which is provided with an air outlet 22 which isdisposed adjacent and in confronting relation with respect 4to thelaterally disposed water outlet I8. The

valve seat 23 is coaxial with the air outlet 22.

Pvoted at 24 to the lower end of the member I6 is a flap valve member 25which consists of a metal disk body, and that side of the disk bodyfacing the seat 23 is provided with a leather or rubber washer 26. Theilap valve 25 is provided with an ear 21' to which the small end of aconical shaped helical expandable spring 21 is connected, the other orlarger end of the spring seating against the side wall of the tail-pieceI at a point surrounding the air inlet opening 20. From the foregoingdescription it will be understood that the expansion spring 21. normallyurges the valve member 25 to a closed position against the seat I9 asindicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, whereby to close the water outletI8 immediately after a ilushing operation. However, water entering thewater chamber Aas indicated by arrows will force the valve member 25 toa Dosition against the seat 23 for the pressure of the.

which is less than the diameter of the body 28- for snug fit about theexterior of the tail-piece I5. Screws 30 pass through the flanges 29 andrigidly secure the body 28'to the tail-piece, although these flangesmay'be secured by means of rivets, tapered pins or by brazing orsoldering. The upper end ofthe cylindrical body 28 is provided with anenlarged bell-shaped portion 3I which denes a horizontal shoulder 32having arcuate shaped air inlet openings 33 therein. The space betweenthe body 28 and the tail-piece constitutes an air chamber which is inopen communication with the air inlet 20, said body being disposedwithin and beyond the plane of the inlet ZI).V The body 28, bell-shapedportion 3l, and annular flanges 29-29 are integral and formed of a metalcasting. y

In operation, assume that the valve member 25 is in the dotted positionshown in Figure 2, that is, it is against the seat I9 of the wateroutlet I8. In this position, atmospheric air is free to enter thetail-piece I5 through the air outlet 26. Upon operation of the flushvalve I2, water will flow through the upper end of the tail-piece into.the water chamber A and will force the valve member 25 outwardly againstthe tension of the spring 21 to closed position in sealing engagementwith the seat 23. The supply of atmospheric air to the tail-piece is nowshut oi and the flushed water passing through the water chamber A,'outlet I8, and the lower end of the tail piece is free to enter theinlet of the water closet bowl. After completion of the ushingoperation, the pressure of the now of water through the Water chamber Ais reduced,

whereupon the spring 21 forces 'fthe valve member 215 against the seatI9 of the water outlet I 8, and thereby admits air froml the air chamberB into the lower end of the tailpiece, thus breaking any vacuum in thetailpiece which might cause a syphoning action from the water closetbowl to the water supply line Il.

When the valve member 25 is seated against the seat I8, the backward owof any water from the water closet bowl to the water supply pipe I3 isprevented.

In Figure 4 of the drawing, I have illustrated a modiiled form of springmeans for normally socket recess 43 provided in an adjacent wall of themember I 6. The spring 4I tends to normally swinglthe pivoted valvemember to a position to close the water outlet I8 as shown in fulllines, lbut the pressure of flushed water passing through the Waterchamber is greater than the tension of the spring and forces the valvemember to a closed position against the air inlet 23 as shown In dottedlines, thereby eiecting an opening o! the water passage and closing orthe air passage.

While I have shown and described what I consider to be the mostpractical embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood thatsuch changes in construction and design as come within the scope of theappended claim may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire` tosecure by Letters Patent is: A vacuum breaker'comprising a verticaltubular tail-piece adapted to be arranged in a plumbing installationbetween the water closet bowl and the flush valve thereof, a hollowconical shaped member snugly iitted into and secured to s'aid tail-pieceand having a water outlet in the bot'- tom thereof, said water outletbeing disposed at an angle relative to the axis oi' the tail-piece, avalve seat co-axial' with the water outlet, an air chamber providedwithin said tail-piece adjacent the water outlet, rsaid air chamberhaving an air inlet opening through theside wall of the tail'- piece andan air outlet arranged in confronting spaced relation to the wateroutlet, a valve member pivoted to the conical shaped member for swingingmovement between the air outlet and the water outlet, a seat co-axialwith the air out'- let, an arm secured to and extending from the valvemember adjacent its pivotal axis, confronting sockets provided in saidarm and in an ad'- jacent wall of the conical shaped member, and anexpansion spring having its ends respectively seated in said confrontingsockets; said spring acting to normally urge the valve member intoengagement with the valve seat-of the water outlet, the pressure offlushed water passing through the water chamber adapted to move thevalve member to a position against the seat "of

